Aseptic surgical wound protector



R. oRNDoRr-F 3,111,943

ASEFTIC SURGICAL WOUND PROTECTOR Nov. 26, 1963 Filed Aug. 2, 1961 INVENTOR:

JOHN R. ORNDORFF BY ,112I l UPM ATT 'YS United States Patent O 3,111,943 ASEPTIC SURGICAL WOUND PROTECTOR J elm R. Orndorl, 1044 Forest, River Forest, Ill. Filed Aug. 2, 1961, Ser. No. 128,762 Claims. (Cl. 12S-1) This invention relates to an aspetic surgical Wound protector and more particularly to a protector which is adapted to prevent contamination of an abdominal wound during surgery.

Despite modern antibiotics, it is well recognized that surgical wounds are highly susceptible to infection. The fatty tissue oE the body through which surgical incisions are made iis particularly susceptible to infection from contamination by body fluids and solids that may be passed inwardly or outwardly during an operation.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an aspetic surgical wound protector which affords a safety tunnel into the body permitting the surgeon access to an internal organ and protecting the side walls of the wound by a material which is `impervious to body fluids and solids which are present or introduced into the Wound during the operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an aseptic surgical wound protector which is inexpensive and made from a readily available material.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an aseptic surgical wound protector of the type described which is readily secured in place in line-to-lline contact with the body and through which an incision can be made.

Another object of the invention is to provide an aspetic surgical wound protector having a flexible, transparent base portion coated with an adhesive which is also transparent and adapted to secure the base portion to a body surface and having a flexible, water-proof sleeve portion open at one end and closed at the other by the base portion, said sleeve portion being adapted to be inverted through an opening made by an incision in the base portion and to be pressed inwardly into the body cavity so as to lie along the walls ol the body cavity during a surgical operation and thereby prevent the ingress and egress ol contaminating substances to and from the walls of the body cavity.

A further object of the invention is to provide an aseptic surgical wound protector of the type described in which a pressure sensitive adhesive or a re-moistening adhesive is applied to the exterior of the base portion of the protector to permit ready application of the protector to the skin over the planned line of incision.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved surgical operating method.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which FlGUtl l is a perspective view of an aseptic surgical vvounl protector provided in accordance with the invention',

FIGURE 2 is another perspective View of one form of an aseptic surgical wound protector of the invention illustrating particularly a protector in which the base portion is coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive covered with a protective cloth or other material adapted to be stripped from the adhesive so that the base portion can he applied directly over the planned line of incision immediately alter the protective covering is stripped from the adhesive;

FlGURE 3 is an enlarged cross section with parts broken away of a portion ot the aseptic surgical wound protector shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 illustrates the manner in which the aseptic 3,1 l 1,943 Patented Nov. 26, 19GB surgical wound protector is applied to the abdomen prior to an operation. and

FlGURE 5 illustrates the manner in which the aseptic surgical wound protector is used during thc operation.

As shown by the drawings, the aseptic surgical wound protector of the invention comprises a sleeve portion 1 of water-proof flexible material open at one end 2 and closed at the other end 3 by a transparent cxible material to pio vide a base 4. The base 4 is adapted to be placed in lineto-line contact against the body of a person as illustrated in FIGURE 4, and is adapted to be severed so that an incision can be made into the body through said base 4.

FIGURES 2 and 3 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention in which the hase 4 is coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive 5 over which is placed a protective covering, such as gauze or vl-iolland cloth 6 which preferably has non-adhesively coated tabs 7 and El, or other suitable means. to permit ready stripping or said protective covering from the pressure sensitive adhesive coating and ready application of the latter to the skin surface where the incision is planned.

To facilitate the alignment ol the aseptic surgical wound protector for the purpose of making an incision, it is also desirable, but optional, to provide a printed line or series ol lines or other `indicia on the upper surface ot the base of the Wound protector where the incision is made initially, for example, as illustrated by broken lines 9 in FIG- URE l.

The sleeve portion and the base portion of the aseptic surgical wound protector can be made from the same or different materials and are preferably made from a suitable plastic mnterial. The sleeve portion should be water-proof and impervious to body fluids and solids. lt should also preferably be transparent. Addltionaly, it must be sulliciently flexible so that it can be inverted or turned inside out through the opening produced by thc incision and pressed `inwardly in order to lie along the walls of the body cavity and prevent the ingress and egress of substances to and from the Walls of the body cavity. The base portions must be transparent to permit proper align* ment prior to making the incision. This means also that the adhesive must be transparent.

Examples of suitable materials which may be used in constructing the aseptic surgical wound protector are plastic ilms made from such materials as polyethylene, rubber hydrochloride, polyvinylidene chloride, regenerated cellulose, cellulose esters, and the like. Where the llm is not impervious to liquids and solids `it can be coated in a well known manner to provide a water-proof coating.

While it is preferable that the adhesive coating be integral with the base of the aseptic surgical wound protector, it is also possible to apply the adhesive separately, either to the body of the patient or to the base of the ascptic surgical wound protector just before the latter is secured in place over the planned area of incision. Where the adhesive is an integral part of the aseptic surgical Wound protector it is preferable to use a pressure sensitive adhesive in the manner described in connection with FIG-- URES 2 and 3. The term pressure sensitive adhesive" is defined herein to mean an adhesive which is sutlicicutly tacky `in itsell` to be applied merely by pressure. Such adhesives are commonly used in adhesive tape, including transparent tape. A re-moistening type of adhesive can be used instead of a pressure sensitive adhesive. This type of adhesive is normally dry to the touch and non-tacky but becomes tacky on moistening with water or other suitable liquids. Pressure sensitive adhesives are usually made by combining rubber with other materials and remoistening adhesives are ordinarily made from animal glue and converted starches. The types of adhesive employed `is not a critical point o the invention except that ICC the adhesive is preferably water-prooi and sufficiently strong to hold the aseptic surgical wound protector in place during the operation. The adhesive should also be one which is capable of ready removal after the operation is completed.

'v'vilh respect to the amendment illustrated in FIGURES 2 and where tabs i and 8 are provided in order to assist in removing the backing from adhesive 5, it will be understood that other common well known means can be used for this purpose. For example, the backing 6 instead of extending beyond the sides of the aseptic surgical wound protector can be co-extcnsive at the outer edges with the outer edges of the adhesive coating 5 and a wavy cut can be made through the backing so that when the base is flexed it is possible to grip portions of the backing along the edges of the cut and strip the backing from the adhesive.

ln usage in the operating room, the patients abdominal skin Jrepaired by antiseptic procedures. The base of the :iseptic surgical wound protector is then pressed firmly down on the skin at the planned incision site as shown in FIGURE 4. Prior to this time. of course, if an aseptic surgical wound protector of the type shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 is used, the protective covering 6 has been stripped from the adhesive 5. The sides of the sleeve 1 are then rcefcd down in folds to the margin of the base 4. These folds are held down by four towels While the surgeon makes thc incision, for example, along the line 10 (FIG URE 4) through the base 4, the adhesive coating 5 and the abdominal wall of the body. When the incision is completed. the sides of the sleeve 1 are unreefed and inverted through the opening in the base and the abdominal wall so that they hang turned inside out in loose folds within the abdomen as illustrated in FIGURE 5. In this way, the vulnerable side walls of the wound are protected by the impervious sleeve 1 from contamination by body fluids and solids that may be passed inward or outward during the operation.

At the conclusion of the operation the Wound sleeve is removed and the abdominal wall is closed without fear of an abdominal wound infection developing. Thus, the invention atfords a new and improved device for preventing wound contamination and provides a new and improved surgical method.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

l. An aseptie surgical wound protector comprising a sleeve portion of impervious flexible material open at one end and closed at the other by a base portion of transparent flexible material, the outside of said base portion being coated with an adhesive, said base portion being all) .4 adapted to be placed in line-to-line Contact against the body of a person adjacent to a body cavity in such person so that an incision can be made through a portion of the body and through said base portion and said adhesive into said body cavity, said base portion being of such flexibility as to substantially conform to the portion of said body against which it is placed, and said sleeve portion having an open free end opposite said base portion capable of being inverted through the opening produced by said incision and to be pressed inwardly into the body cavity so as to lie along the walls of the body cavity and prevent the ingress and egress of substances to and from the walls of the body cavity.

2. An aseptic surgical wound protector as claimed in claim 1 in which said base portion bears a marking for alignment and incision purposes.

3. A surgical method which comprises placing on the body of a patient at a planned area of operation, an aseptic surgical wound protector having a sleeve portion ol impervious flexible material open at one end and closed at the other end by a transparent base portion of flexible material, said base portion being adhesively secured to the body of the patient over the planned line of incision. reefing the sleeve portion into folds to the margin of the base portion, making an incision through the base portion into the body of the patient to produce a body cavity while holding down the folds of the sleeve portion, then unreeng the folds of the sleeve portion and inverting the open end of said sleeve portion through the incised base portion into the body cavity so that the sleeve portion hangs along the walls of the body cavity and prevents the ingress and egress of substances to and from the walls of the body cavity.

4. An aseptie surgical wound protector as defined in claim l, and in which said adhesive comprises a transparent impervious pressure sensitive adhesive.

5. An aseptic surgical Wound protector as defined in claim 1, and in which said adhesive comprises an impervious pressure sensitive adhesive, and which includes a strippable protective covering over said adhesive.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,491,011 Hodgin Apr. 22, 1924 2,305,289 Coburg Dec. l5, 1942 2,473,033 Letae June 14, 1949 OTHER REFERENCES Vinyl Surgical Drapes," Modern Plastics, page 61, May, 1951. (Copy in Scientific Library.) 

1. AN ASEPTIC SURGICAL WOUND PROTECTOR COMPRISING A SLEEVE PORTION OF IMPERVIOUS FLEXIBLE MATERIAL OPEN AT ONE END AND CLOSED AT THE OTHER BY A BASE PORTION OF TRANSPARENT FLEXIBLE MATERIAL, THE OUTSIDE OF SAID BASE PORTION BEING COATED WITH AN ADHESIVE, SAID BASE PORTION BEING ADAPTED TO BE PLACED IN LINE-TO-LINE CONTACT AGAINST THE BODY OF A PERSON ADJACENT TO A BODY CAVITY IN SUCH PERSON SO THAT AN INCISION CAN BE MADE THROUGH A PORTION OF THE BODY AND THROUGH SAID BASE PORTION AND SAID ADHESIVE INTO SAID BODY CAVITY, SAID BASE PORTION BEING OF SUCH FLEXIBILITY AS TO SUBSTANTIALLY CONFORM TO THE PORTION OF SAID BODY AGAINST WHICH IT IS PLACED, AND SAID SLEEVE PORTION HAVING AN OPEN FREE END OPPOSITE SAID BASE PORTION CAPABLE OF BEING INVERTED THROUGH THE OPENING PRODUCED BY SAID INCISION AND TO BE PRESSED INWARDLY INTO THE BODY CAVITY SO AS TO LIE ALONG THE WALLS OF THE BODY CAVITY AND PREVENT THE INGRESS AND EGRESS OF SUBSTANCES TO AND FROM THE WALLS OF THE BODY CAVITY. 